Thermal runaway detection circuit

Abstract

A thermal runaway detection circuit is presented. The thermal runaway detection circuit comprises a processing circuit, a first electric conduit configured to connect the processing circuit to a first sensor circuit and a second electric conduit configured to connect the processing circuit to a second sensor circuit. A portion of the first electric conduit and a portion of the second electric conduit between the processing circuit and the respective sensor circuit are configured to be arranged at an over pressure relief path of a battery device. The processing circuit is configured to obtain first data via the first electric conduit and second data via the second electric conduit, and generate a thermal runaway indication based on the first data and the second data.

1 . A thermal runaway detection circuit, comprising a processing circuit, a first electric conduit configured to connect the processing circuit to a first sensor circuit and a second electric conduit configured to connect the processing circuit to a second sensor circuit, a portion of the first electric conduit and a portion of the second electric conduit between the processing circuit and the respective sensor circuit are configured to be arranged at an over pressure relief path of a battery device, wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
 obtain first data via the first electric conduit and second data via the second electric conduit, and   generate a thermal runaway indication based on the first data and the second data.   
     
     
         2 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data being outside a first interval and the second data being outside a second interval. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a first impedance control circuit connected to the first electric conduit between the processing circuit and the over pressure relief path and/or a second impedance control circuit connected to the second electric conduit between the processing circuit and the over pressure relief path. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 3 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data indicating a first data maximum value or a first data minimum value and/or the second data indicating a second data maximum value or a second data minimum value. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first electric conduit and a portion of the second electric conduit are arranged on a printed circuit board (“PCB”). 
     
     
         6 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 5 , wherein the PCB is a flexible printed circuit (“FPC”). 
     
     
         7 . The thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a first impedance control circuit connected to the first electric conduit between the processing circuit and the over pressure relief path and/or a second impedance control circuit connected to the second electric conduit between the processing circuit and the over pressure relief path, wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data indicating a first data maximum value or a first data minimum value and the second data indicating a first data maximum value or a first data minimum value; the processing circuit is further configured to generate the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data being outside a first interval and the second data being outside a second interval; at least a portion of the first electric conduit and a portion of the second electric conduit are arranged on a printed circuit board (“PCB”) wherein the PCB is a flexible printed circuit (“FPC”). 
     
     
         8 . A battery device comprising at least one battery cell, a first sensor circuit, a second sensor circuit, a housing enclosing the at least one battery cell and comprising an over pressure relief path, and a thermal runaway detection circuit of  claim 1  connected to the first sensor circuit and the second sensor circuit, wherein the first electric conduit and the second electric conduit of the thermal runaway detection circuit are arranged at the over pressure relief path. 
     
     
         9 . The battery device of  claim 8 , further comprising a pressure relief valve arranged to control the over pressure relief path. 
     
     
         10 . The battery device of  claim 8 , wherein the first sensor circuit and/or the second sensor circuit are one of a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor or a current sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A battery pack comprising two or more battery devices of  claim 8  and a battery pack processing circuit connected to each of the processing circuits of the two or more battery devices. 
     
     
         12 . The battery pack of  claim 11 , wherein the battery pack processing circuit is configured to generate a battery pack thermal runaway indication responsive to obtaining a thermal runaway indication from at least one of the processing circuits of the two or more battery devices. 
     
     
         13 . The battery pack of  claim 12 , wherein the battery pack processing circuit is configured to generate the battery pack thermal runaway indication responsive to obtaining thermal runaway indications from at least two of the processing circuits of the two or more battery devices. 
     
     
         14 . A vehicle comprising at least one battery device of any  claim 8 . 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 14 , wherein the vehicle is configured to alert an operator of the vehicle responsive to the battery device generating a thermal runaway indication. 
     
     
         16 . A vehicle comprising at least one battery pack of  claim 11 . 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the vehicle is configured to alert an operator of the vehicle responsive to the battery pack generating a battery pack thermal runaway indication. 
     
     
         18 . A method of detecting thermal runaway of a battery device according to  claim 8 , the method comprising:
 obtaining first data from the first electric conduit and second data from the second electric conduit, and   generating a thermal runaway indication based on the first data and the second data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein generating a thermal runaway indication comprises generating the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data being outside a first interval, and the second data being outside a second interval. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein generating a thermal runaway indication comprises generating the thermal runaway indication responsive to the first data indicating a first data maximum value or a first data minimum value, and the second data indicating a second data maximum value or a second data minimum value.